Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-02-03

| usual Well. to make matters WORSE
we were detained an hour at the depot
and then the conductor came and told
me that the superintendent was on the
train and bound for the other end OF the
road.
Now, right here want to say that
I have always had the reputation OF be-
ing one of the most careful and best
engineers on the road. together with
being able to make the best time. This
was the first time the superintendent
had ever been on my train, and. OF
course. I was anxious to sustain my
good reputation. But the fates were
against mean hour late, the night
dark and stormy, and our regular
running time between forty and
fifty miles an hour. Well, we pulled
out of the station with my mind
made up TO reach our destination on
time if the wheels would stay under
her As soon as we were out of the
city limits I opened on all the steam
she had and let her go. But she didn's
seem to move at half her usual speed
and then she didn't seem to make
steam wei. either began TO be i'm
patient. and scolded the fireman for
not doing good work with his fire.
He seemed to try his best, but it was
no 20. She would not steam well, in
spite of his exertions Then the
pumps began to be troublesome. One
of them stopped working altogether,
and the other became more unreliable
every minute. 1t began TO dawn upon
me that making up time was out of the
question.
''You may imagine my feelings. for
it seemed TO me as if my whole reputa-
ton was staked on this trip. I profess
to know my business pretty well and
can get speed out of an engine if any
man can. and my heart was down be-
low zero when we began to drop be-
hind our regular running time. But it
was no use. Everything was against
me. I was mad clear through.
when we left Station Owe wers
one hour and ten minutes late, and the
conductor had just made remark that
nettlcd me quite little. I had asked
him if there were any orders at Station
D.. He answered: None, except
to try to get there in time for dinner
which was pure sarcasm. for If we
made our running time we would be
there in time for breakfast. Well. my
heart was clear down in my boots. and
when shut off the steam going into
Station B-I found the water so low
in the boiler that something had to be
done for the pumps before we could
leave that station. as there was then a
heavy grade to climb for several
miles. I informed the conductor that
we would be delayed fifteen or twenty
minutes with the work of taking down
one of the pumps, and then proceeded
with the work.
I'VE were just about ready to start
again when I heard the sharp whistle
of an engine. and looking up saw a
train approaching from the very direc-
ton in which we were going. When
the train pulled into the station. we
found that the telegraph operator ut Sta
ton D. had neglected TO give US
meeting orders for this train. Had it
not been for the pumps we would have
dashed on to what would probably
have been one of the most terrible coll
nsions in the history OF railroads.
Now comes the remarkable part OF
the story From the time we left Sta
ton B both pumps worked like =
charm--bear in mind that had founl1
nothing whatever the matter with the
pump that had taken down, rs there
was apparently no reason for it not
working the old engine seemed
to dart along with twice her
usual speed. Gradually she began
to pick up the time again. and in
the next fifty miles we had made up
fifteen minutes. which was lightning
speed in those days. There was just
nineteen minutes to make the Last
twenty miles in. and I need not say
that we pulled into our destination on
time.
Here, indeed. was an instance OF a
cranky engine saving a collision that
would probably have resulted in a
great loss of human life and property
is fun of just such experi-
ences. and I have had many of them
which might interest you, but do not
recall any of them just now. Speaking
of the peculiarities of engineers. it is
not best for me to say much, for / am
a queer sort of fellow myself. But
there is one engineer running on this.
road now who thinks his engine can
feel, for when she doesn't run fast
enough to please him he beasts her
with hammer. Detroit Tribune.